All Saints with St Philip, and St Stephen, Tovil. Parish Profile

All Saints Church St Philip’s Church St Stephen’s Church, Archbishop Courtenay C.E. Mill Street, Waterloo Street, Primary School, Maidstone Maidstone Eccleston Road, Tovil

All Saints with St Philip, Maidstone and St Stephen Tovil March 2014 Parish Profile 1

River Medway with All Saints Church, Maidstone

1. Introduction and Officers

2. The Characteristics and Qualities of our New Incumbent

3. About the Parish

4. Our Church Buildings a. All Saints Church, Maidstone b. St Philip’s Church and Centre, Maidstone c. St Stephen’s Church, Tovil

5. The Deanery and Ecumenical Links

6. Committees and Services

7. The Parish and the Community

All Saints with St Philip, Maidstone and St Stephen Tovil March 2014 Parish Profile 2 1. Introduction and Officers

The vacancy for Priest in Charge of All Saints with St Philip, Maidstone and St Stephen, Tovil, represents an exciting opportunity for an experienced Priest seeking a new challenge in a living where the recently retired incumbent has been in post for twenty one years.

Thank you for choosing to read our Parish Profile. We hope that this will give you an insight into life at All Saints with St Philip, Maidstone and St Stephen, Tovil.

As a congregation we have spent time reflecting and challenging ourselves to understand fully what it means to be part of our Parish and to understand God’s plan for each of us individually and also as a community. This has involved taking stock of all current activities as well as prayerful consideration of new ideas and opportunities over the last 12 months; we have made some progress in these areas but consider that this exciting stage of God's journey is just beginning.

We pray that as we move towards the appointment of a new Priest, God will provide the right person to lead us all in growing closer to God and in guiding us to fulfil His plan. Our congregation understands the awareness of the need to change and we are open minded to explore new ways of working with other Churches in the Deanery.

Geof Lay, Lionel Marchant, Denise Joy, Roger Manuell, David Freed, Chris Payne, Barbara Cook, and Mollie Neaves, Churchwarden with Parish Officers from all three congregations.

Our church community recognises the enormous potential for mission against the backdrop of commercial and economic growth plans for the County Town of Maidstone and population growth projections in and around the Parish. The energy and aspirations of our community need leading and developing in a genuine partnership with an outgoing and enthusiastic incumbent who will not find any lack of support and ideas from the congregation.

All Saints with St Philip, Maidstone and St Stephen Tovil March 2014 Parish Profile 3 At our open meeting held with the Archdeacon, our Parish agreed that our challenge for mission fits in with the three priorities of the Diocese of Canterbury as follows;

1. To grow the church numerically and spiritually - The three congregations in the parish can be seen as three distinct types: Many of the worshippers at All Saints come from outside the (predominantly) commercial nature of the town centre. Those at St Philip’s are from the surrounding residential area in which there is a strong sense of community whilst the catchment area of St Stephen’s is one of social need, bordering on deprivation. Each presents its own challenges and opportunities.

2. To re-imagine ministry - No longer is the “old model” of the Vicar “doing everything” appropriate to either 21st Century lifestyles or the future of the Church. Our community is open-minded to finding new ways of “doing and delivering” with a greater lay input and an “enabling” mentality and approach.

3. To build effective communities and partnerships - Making connections with the local community and partnering with people and organisations who promote its well-being.

At All Saints Church A Cathedral style church with potential in terms of liturgical and musical excellence and engagement for the wider community of Maidstone. The Church plays an important role in the Civic life of the Town and County. We intend to develop partnership with other Churches in the Deanery and to continue our links with Maidstone Borough Council and other organisations in the Town.

At St Philip Church and Centre. The centre offers groups from the local community the opportunities to enjoy the many activities they provide. Our aspiration is to work with young people and families within the area and to invite them to share in our Christian life. We aim to be a hospitable place for the worship of God and enriching of the life of our local community.

At St Stephen’s Church, the church in Archbishop Courtenay Church of Aided Primary School. A new school building and the appointment of a recent Headteacher now gives our Parish positive links to develop a Partnership with the school and other organisations within the Tovil Community. We intend to continue our Outreach activities within the school with Godly play, after school clubs, Messy Church, children’s discos and Café Church and to extend our outreach to include the whole family.

Financial Despite strenuous efforts the Parish has fallen short of its Parish share in the past. Recognising this, and the strategic nature of the Parish, the Deanery and Diocese have undertaken to support the Priest’s stipend for the next five years. We hold a Stewardship Renewal every year. Every second year we engage the help of the Stewardship Adviser from the Canterbury Diocese.

All Saints with St Philip, Maidstone and St Stephen Tovil March 2014 Parish Profile 4 2. The Characteristics and Qualities of our New Incumbent

An experienced and inspirational team leader.

To be willing to

 Collaborate : with the laity, retired clergy and Deanery to engage in Mission and Ministry, and to encourage team work.

 Motivate : inspiring and encouraging people to deeper love, spirituality and knowledge of the faith, and to greater things in their lives in the work of the Church in the wider sense.

 Communicate: keeping people informed and updated.

 Facilitate: nurturing individuals exploring vocation to fulfil their potential in God’s service.

 Delegate : through team work

 Grow the Church numerically and spiritually

 Encourage us to help families and young people to share our Worship

 Join with us to develop our ongoing activities with children, including weekly assemblies with our Church aided school, and within the local community.

 Re – imagine Ministry working in partnership with organisations.

3. About the Parish

Maidstone is the County Town of which has a population of 140,000. There is a diverse mix of people in the town and especially in the older residential areas. The Parish is broadly situated on the and has a population in excess of 20,000: All Saints Church is located on high ground above the river bank. St Philip’s is located to the south of All Saints, 0.6 miles away and St Stephen’s Tovil is situated in the recently built (2012) Archbishop Courtenay C of E (Aided) Primary School, 0.5 miles away. All Saints Church is the focal point of the Maidstone Heritage area - a group of mediaeval buildings often described as being unique in England for their preservation and character.

Much of the area surrounding All Saints consists of the business hub of the town (where there is a lower residential density) whereas St Philip’s and St Stephen’s, Tovil are situated in residential areas.

Maidstone has good commuter links to .

All Saints with St Philip, Maidstone and St Stephen Tovil March 2014 Parish Profile 5 There are five Primary schools in the Parish, one of these being Archbishop Courtenay C of E (Aided) Primary School with which we have very strong links. Also within the Parish is Maidstone Grammar School, a selective boys’ school, with historic links to All Saints and where a number of their services are held during the year.

4. Our Church Buildings a. All Saints Church A Grade 1 listed building, located in Mill Street, All Saints was built in 1395 on the site of an earlier 7th century edifice dedicated to St Mary. The history of the building is well documented in many commercially available publications. All Saints Maidstone Restoration and Development Trust seek to raise funds from national grant awarding bodies to preserve the fabric of the building by making it wind and weather proof by the replacement of lead on all seven roofs. The updating of the electrical system, including the provision of modern lighting, has been achieved. Current projects include the re-leading of the main nave roof and the restoration of the chancel wall paintings. Over £4 million has been spent over the past twenty years on a number of projects. The work of the Trust is assisted by The Friends of All Saints, a group that has been in existence for several decades. b. St Philip’s Church and Community Centre Located in Waterloo Street, in the middle of a residential area, and built in the mid 1860’s, the Church with its spire (added in 1878) is a landmark which can be seen from many parts of the town. In 1967 part of the Church was divided to provide a Community Centre for local use. It is the only facility of its kind in this part of the Borough and provides a meeting place for a wide variety of groups. The congregation raised over £130,000 to repair and renovate the Tower and Steeple in 2002 An experimental children’s area has been Children’s area at St Philip’s created within the church. A Faculty is awaited for the renewal of the electrical system for

All Saints with St Philip, Maidstone and St Stephen Tovil March 2014 Parish Profile 6 both the Church and the Centre. The Friends of St Philip is a Registered Charity set up in March 2004 to raise funds to assist the maintenance and improvement of the Community Centre. c. St Stephen’s Church Located in Archbishop Courtenay C of E Primary School, Tovil. The original church of St Stephen was closed in c 1980 and has since been demolished. The need for regular worship in Tovil started in St Stephen’s Infant School and has now transferred to the new Archbishop Courtenay School (C of E Primary).

5. The Deanery and Ecumenical Links Baptism at St Stephen’s Church The Maidstone Deanery itself is in a time of change as relationships deepen, trust grows and the desire spreads to work across parish boundaries. The Deanery is in the process of becoming a ‘Group Ministry’. Whilst this will not affect each Parish’s basic autonomy, it will provide an overall structure in which partnerships can flourish, and will mean that incumbents “share a legal duty to assist each other”. Maidstone has both a ‘Churches Together’ group and a more informal gathering of mainly evangelical ministers, as well as countless organisations which work across the denominations. A pattern of praying for each other, networking together and working alongside each other seems to be emerging, which will enable the Priest in Charge and Deanery colleagues to serve the town in new ways in the future. Street Pastors, the new Winter Shelter for the Homeless, and plans for a Chaplaincy to Fremlin Walk Shopping Centre are signs of what can be done if we work together. This means that the new Priest in Charge of All Saints, St Philip’s and St Stephen’s will not be isolated. Clergy in the Deanery (a number of whom are recent appointments) will continue to offer support as the Parish’s particular ministry to the town develops. The Deanery is looking to work in partnerships on a project to explore ministry in the new Riverside developments, which fall within the boundaries of a number of town centre Parishes.

6. Committees and Services

The work of the Parish is managed through the Parochial Church Council (PCC) and a Standing Committee, operating to a fairly traditional structure (Churchwarden, Deputy Churchwardens, Lay Vice Chairman, Treasurer, Protection Officers etc). Regular Churchwarden’s meetings are held and there is an established committee structure reporting to the PCC (All Saints Committee, St Philips Church and Centre Committee, St Stephen’s Committee, Youth Committee, Stewardship Committee). Each year the Stewardship Committee organises a Renewal Campaign with the Diocesan Stewardship Adviser.

Services All Saints: Sundays: 8.00 am Eucharist (BCP – said); 9.30 am Parish Eucharist (Common Worship) 1st, 3rd and 5th Sundays in the month; 9.30 am Choral Eucharist 2nd and 4th Sundays in the All Saints with St Philip, Maidstone and St Stephen Tovil March 2014 Parish Profile 7 month; 6.30 pm Choral Evensong (BCP) 1st, 3rd and 5th Sundays in the month; Evensong (BCP – said) 2nd, and 4th Sundays in the month. Weekdays: 12.30 pm Eucharist, Thursdays. Services are also conducted on Saints Days, Festivals and Holy Days in accordance with the ecclesiastical calendar.

St Philip’s: Sundays: 11.00 am Parish Communion (Common Worship) (2nd Sundays in the month is a family service).

St Stephen’s: Sundays: 11.00 am Family Service (1st Sunday of the month); 11.00 am Eucharist (Common Worship) (3rd Sunday of the month).

The style of worship at All Saints is traditional eucharistically based whilst at St Philip’s the basis is similar but there is a strong congregational input. At St Stephen’s the family services are led by the laity.

In respect of the number of parishioners worshipping at All Saints on a Sunday, at 8.30 am BCP Communion there will be between 6 to 10 present whilst the 9.30 am Eucharist will usually see between 40 and 50 present in addition to the robed choir of approximately 16. A Sacristan prepares for all services. A crèche is available in the north porch at the 9.30 am Sunday Family service. The congregations are wide ranging in terms of social mix. Servers – there are currently ten servers, four of whom are Sunday School at All Saints on duty for this service, Crucifer, two Acolytes and one Gospeller.

At St Philips the number of parishioners who worship is between 30 and 40 each Sunday. Servers - there are eight Servers, three of whom are on duty on a Sunday, Crucifer and two Acolytes. The Head Server prepares for the Sunday Service. Crèche and Sunday School are available if required. There is a special children’s area in the church which children are encouraged to use.

St Stephen’s: the numbers of parishioners who worship at St Stephen’s is between 8 and 20 for the Family and Eucharist Sunday Services. The Deputy Churchwarden Arriving for a service at prepares for the Sunday Services. St Philip’s

Music All Saints has a long tradition of music in worship. We have been able to trace the organists of the church back to 1564. That tradition is maintained today, led by a choir of men and boys who sing at Sunday services and the occasional evening weekday Eucharist services. The current service schedule provides for a Parish Eucharist on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Sundays of the month and Choral Eucharist on the 2nd and 4th Sundays and the occasional evening weekday Eucharist services. Choral Evensong is sung on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Sundays of the month. A copy of the monthly music list is available on our website www.maidstoneallsaints.freeserve.co.uk.

All Saints with St Philip, Maidstone and St Stephen Tovil March 2014 Parish Profile 8

St Philips has a mixed robed choir currently with eight adult members under a Director of Music.

7. The Parish and the Community All Saints also includes occasions designed for the participation of local schools. In the spring we offer Spring Sing-along. During the five mornings it is held, we are able to welcome over 1100 children from local schools in Years One and Two relating to the chosen theme of the year. In the summer we also offer a Recorder Festival and at Christmas two days of Sing Around Christmas.

All Saints is used extensively by local schools for their Christmas music. We also provide a venue for concerts offered by local choral and instrumental groups. In June and July we offer Lunchtime Concerts which again give the opportunity for local musicians to offer their talent to raise money for charities of their own choice. There is also a strong musical tradition at St Philip’s. The choir has a strong repertoire of songs on which to draw and can be augmented for concerts with local musicians known to the Director of Music.

Mothers’ Union: The Branch, which comprises All Saints with St Philip’s, operates as a Fellowship Group of the MU and meets once a month in church or in a member’s home. A Corporate Communion is also held once a month Spring Sing-along at All Saints in church.

Bells and Bell Ringers: All Saints has a well-deserved rich bell-ringing history and with a loyal team of ringers. Visiting ringers for outings and peals continue to be welcome to enjoy the magnificent bells. The church is very fortunate in possessing what is widely regarded as one of the finest sets of ten change-ringing bells in the Country. The bells were cast in 1957 by Taylors of Loughborough and replaced a similar sized ring of ten apparently of mediocre tone and initially cast in 1783.

Weddings: In 2012 there were seventeen weddings across the Parish and in 2013 twelve.

Funerals: In 2012 there were ten funerals across the Parish with an additional thirteen held at the Crematorium and in 2013 there were nine (fourteen at the Crematorium).

Baptisms: In 2012 there were forty five baptisms across the parish and in 2013 forty nine.

Confirmations: Two people have been confirmed this year.

Electoral roll: There are 132 on the combined electoral roll.

All Saints is the Civic Church for the and as such is used for many events – Civic Service and Mayor making services. We share on a triennial basis with

All Saints with St Philip, Maidstone and St Stephen Tovil March 2014 Parish Profile 9 Canterbury Cathedral and Rochester Cathedral the Civic Services for the High Sheriff of Kent, the Justice Service , and the Civic Service of the Lord Lieutenant of Kent. ESO Graduation, KCOA (Kent County Organists’ Association) Organ Festival and many concerts are held in All Saints. Some local schools hold their own Christmas Carol Services and School Foundation Day services in the church. Apart from these events, All Saints also hosts a Maidstone Business Community Carol Service and Schools are encouraged to hold educational visits.

St Philip’s: St Philip’s Centre supports the work of the congregation. The Friends of St Philip’s Community Centre is a Registered Charity set up in March 2004 to raise funds to assist the maintenance and improvement of the Community Centre at St Philips for use by the local community. There are five trustees and six committee members. Fundraising is ongoing with much involvement from the congregation. Christmas Fayre’s, Victorian Fayre’s, concerts, and other activities are arranged regularly through the Friends to enable the centre to remain open. This also allows local residents the opportunity to visit the centre and to be part of our ongoing work within the area.

Seedlings the Church toddler group for children from birth to school age, together with their parents/carers, meet during term time at the centre which provides a safe, caring and stimulating environment for the children to play and make new friends (access to the children’s area within the Church is encouraged to allow the families to feel comfortable when entering our place of worship).

‘Seedlings’ at St Philip’s

Uniformed organisations (8th Maidstone Guides, Brownies and Rainbows) use the St Philip’s Community Centre facilities weekly.

All Saints with St Philip, Maidstone and St Stephen Tovil March 2014 Parish Profile 10

Coffee and Chat is a drop in morning held

on a Tuesday at St Philip’s for anyone to

pop in and receive a welcome drink and

chat.

St Stephen’s: In addition to worship conducted on Sunday mornings, Archbishop Courtenay Primary School offers rich opportunities for work with families and children within the parish. The previous Vicar led worship on a weekly basis and it is hoped that this will continue. A Harvest Messy Church was held in the school followed by a Harvest festival service on the Sunday. There is also a Godly Play room (for which outreach funding was secured from the Diocese as part of the new build) which is used each term to teach Bible stories to children using volunteers from the Church. A new headteacher started in January 2014 who is very pleased to work with us. The whole parish continues to provide opportunities for outreach to families and children within the locality. Using the facilities at both St Philips and Archbishop Courtenay School, under the umbrella of the Youth Committee, various activities have been arranged over recent years, including Advent and Lent Clubs, Mothering Sunday activities, Christingle making and Service. In more recent times the whole family has been encouraged to attend. Children and their families are invited from our churches and all the local primary schools.

One of our family activities The Revd. Clinton Davis, a retired Priest who assists in our Parish, helps with the Family Activity Day

. Events are usually themed around the time of the liturgical calendar or upon a particular bible story. Where possible the results of the creative activities are displayed in our churches.

All Saints with St Philip, Maidstone and St Stephen Tovil March 2014 Parish Profile 11

The Vicarage is situated in Priory Road, an oasis in the heart of Maidstone, in close proximity to All Saints and within a short walking distance of both Maidstone Town Centre and St Philip’s. St Stephen’s is a 15 minute walk away.

Five bedrooms, bathroom, study, small office, lounge with adjoining dining room, kitchen and utility room, downstairs toilet, a spacious garden to the rear, garage and private parking for approximately eight cars.

The Vicarage will be undergoing substantial renovation during the interregnum.

All Saints with St Philip, Maidstone and St Stephen Tovil March 2014 Parish Profile 12